If I have some good oranges Today, and want to save the peels for later use, is it better to Dry the outer parts, ( not the piths) and put in an airtight container or is it better to freeze the peels for later use.

I would think, Freeze, because it sounds better. Mince at time of use.

I have also read/ and have a couple recipes for making candied orange/ fruit peels. Haven't done this. I suppose one could use these as well and scrape off or reduce sugar accordingly in a recipe.

Yes, oranges are available year round. Their quality and variety is not always optimum, especially in juicing and cooking. and using all the good parts.

Any thoughts?

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Blissful, Thanks for your recipe/ variations. Dutifully C/P. This is often how I cook. Variations on a theme of the moment. What sounds good plus what is in the larder preferably without an extra trip to the store. I notice my orange chicken recipe(s) has a lot of fresh ginger, lemon juice, usually green onion, always some chile peppers and not too much sugar. I must trend to the tarter end of the scale. Well, at least I have learned to write down what I'm doing at the time, so it can be repeated.

I did find the notes from Last time I made this filed under Orange Beef ( which I don't recall). I best remember making this way back for Valentine's Day with Chicken. It was a hit. I filed your notes alongside my own since I seem to have limited organizational skills and it's best to keep everything in one place. My recipe is now titled Orange Hunan Sauce. I like that.

You live far from where oranges are grown. They don't really turn orange after they are picked and they are picked green for shipping. They dye the oranges with dyes that are not allowed for food. I won't use the peel on oranges that aren't organic.

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Whiskadoodle: Thank you for your interesting questions and ideas. These are just my opinions. I'd freeze instead of dry, the outer parts, such as the orange rind without the pith (which can be chopped or candied), and the grated orange peel. My reasoning is because it is the oils that give the flavor. Drying could diminish the oils and they could go bad faster, while freezing will preserve the oils.

While testing:
I used a thinly peeled orange, scraped the pith away until I could see all the orange pores, then minced it--it was excellent in the sauce.

I've made the sauce with half the sugar, it is still very good. (while experimenting) It's important to me to get the tart/salty/sweet balance, so a little less soy sauce is needed when reducing the sugar. I haven't tried to reduce the sugar any further but why not?

The sauce is very *strong* in the orange tart flavor, which is what I love.

Please feel free to make your own variation and post them here for anyone that wants to try them.

Thanks Blissful for your reply back I appreciate this rationale-- " I'd freeze instead of dry, the outer parts, such as the orange rind without the pith (which can be chopped or candied), and the grated orange peel. My reasoning is because it is the oils that give the flavor. Drying could diminish the oils and they could go bad faster, while freezing will preserve the oils."

As for your sauce-- "The sauce is very *strong* in the orange tart flavor, which is what I love." That is what I try to achieve as well, and it isn't as easy as it sounds, having ordered this dish in restaurants and you go huh? where is the Flavor? Interesting ideas all around.

"The sauce is very *strong* in the orange tart flavor, which is what I love." That is what I try to achieve as well, and it isn't as easy as it sounds, having ordered this dish in restaurants and you go huh? where is the Flavor? Interesting ideas all around.

Whiska--can I call you that? Would you prefer Doodle?
I have done exactly that--gone to the restaurant expecting ORANGE flavor and there is almost none.

There was one restaurant that made the Orange Beef, they must have double fried the beef, it was crispy, then the sauce was like this sauce, like honey in consistency and a nice ORANGEY flavor, it was awesome. The rest of the sauce went into the rice, and that was awesome too.

TNT Basic Orange Sauce w/variationsblissfulThis sauce started out as a quest to recreate hunan orange beef and hunan orange chicken. The basic sauce is below with variations below that.
Orange sauce:
In a saucepan combine-
Zest from one orange
juice and whatever pulp wants to come with from that orange
6 oz orange concentrate
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 Cup sugar (honey or corn syrup combination optional)
Simmer this mixture until it makes a nice medium thick syrup the consistency of honey. Store in pourable containers in the refrigerator for use on beef, chicken, pork, fish, seafood.
1. Variation for some hotness: add a chopped chili pepper (the hotness you like) in the beginning. Store in pourable container in the refrigerator.
2. Variation for hunan orange beef or chicken: add the chopped pepper as in the first variation and chopped garlic and chopped ginger in proportions you like (1 tablespoon of each to start). Use to glaze the vegetables and meat in the hunan dish.
I made this again last night, one jug of the basic recipe and one of first variation (for me).3 stars
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